New Guy Needs Blade Help

FXBGSHAVER

FXBGSHAVER

Messages
5
Location
Fxbg, Va. (USA)
I'm relatively new to wet shaving.. I'm using a Merkur 34C HD and have used the Merkur blades I'm almost out of them and will need to place an order for more soon. I'm satisfied with the blades, sans the price, but have nothing to compare them to and I'm looking for some recommendations. I'd appreciate any help I could get
 
Hi, a lot of new people go for the sample packs that contain different brands of blades. It allows you to try a lot of the more popular varieties available. I've found a lot of blades much cheaper and better than the Merkurs. Have a look whats available online.
I notice you are in the USA, I'm in the UK so an American member here should be able to help.
 
I'd recommend visiting the website Try a Blade who have a great selection of blades.

When it comes to testing blades, a lot of people recommend getting 2 of each.

When it comes to DE blades made under the supervision of Gillette, the following seem to be really well appreciated on the forums
- Gillette Silver Blue
- Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge (Yellow)
- Astra Superior Platinum
- Polsilver Super Iridium
- Permasharp Super Stainless
- Sputnik
- Nacet

Blades made by other makers include
- Feather
- Personna Lab Blue
- Personna Platinum (Reds)
- Shark Super Stainless
- Voskhod

Of course there are many others the ones I have mentioned are ones that I have used or read favourable reports of, and it's about finding the blades which suit your face the most.
 
donnie_arko said:
I'd recommend visiting the website Try a Blade who have a great selection of blades.

When it comes to testing blades, a lot of people recommend getting 2 of each.

When it comes to DE blades made under the supervision of Gillette, the following seem to be really well appreciated on the forums
- Gillette Silver Blue
- Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge (Yellow)
- Astra Superior Platinum
- Polsilver Super Iridium
- Permasharp Super Stainless
- Sputnik
- Nacet

Blades made by other makers include
- Feather
- Personna Lab Blue
- Personna Platinum (Reds)
- Shark Super Stainless
- Voskhod

Of course there are many others the ones I have mentioned are ones that I have used or read favourable reports of, and it's about finding the blades which suit your face the most.
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Thanks for the info my man !
 
Each person's face reacts differently to each blade. I love Polsilvers, but you might hate them. We have a saying in this community: 'Your mileage may vary', or YMMV for short. What works for me might not work for you. Get a sample pack, try different blades, and go from there. It will take a bit of time, but you'll find 3 or 4 different blades that your face loves. Welcome to the hobby!

p.s. You've got a nice mild razor so the blade type will be the telling feature of your shaves. Always remember: No pressure! Let the weight of the razor do the work; shave off the lather -- the stubble will follow.
 
Steve Bowles said:
Each person's face reacts differently to each blade. I love Polsilvers, but you might hate them. We have a saying in this community: 'Your mileage may vary', or YMMV for short. What works for me might not work for you. Get a sample pack, try different blades, and go from there. It will take a bit of time, but you'll find 3 or 4 different blades that your face loves. Welcome to the hobby!

p.s. You've got a nice mild razor so the blade type will be the telling feature of your shaves. Always remember: No pressure! Let the weight of the razor do the work; shave off the lather -- the stubble will follow.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for the advice and the welcome.. I've seen/heard the terms mild & aggressive razor but I'm still not sure how that translates .. I understand that some blades can be sharper than others but how does the razor itself make a difference ?.... All of this new info is fascinating and greatly appreciated
 
The geometry of the blade in the razor, i.e., blade angle, blade gap, blade exposure, and other variables influence whether a razor is mild or aggressive. Closed comb razors (like yours) are usually much more mild than open comb razors where there is more blade exposure to the skin. There are experts on this forum who can tell you much more than you probably want to know about the subject. Do a search in past threads and I'm sure you'll get all the technical information you need. Some blades may be "sharper" than others, but they're razor blades -- they're all pretty damn sharp. If you want a prime example of an aggressive razor, look no further than the Muhle R41 -- a monster most of us have owned at one time or another.
 
Great advice so far, That's why I love forums like this everybody is so helpful!
However you have opened a can of worms please remember what may be good for someone else won't necessarily work for you, just out of curiosity how long do people shave with a new blade before considering the results?
 
YMMV. Blade results are completely subjective. If you get a great shave, no irritation, no nicks or weepers -- then you've probably found one to put on your "keeper" list. if your shave is less than brilliant, and you have more than one razor to try the blade in, then by all means try it in a different razor. Different razors can give different results from the same blade type. If you only have one razor and your shave wasn't great, and your technique is good then scratch that blade from your list. How long it takes you to decide is entirely up to you.
 
Little more to add, try a blade will allow you to test on your own face what works best. In my "keeper list" stand also Astra Superior Stainless and Wilkinson Sword Gillette blades. You can easily buy the latter form India ebay seller for very little money.
 
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